Beauty Chat: Saks' Deborah Walters on Making Sense of BBs, CCs, and More

If you're suffering from breakouts or dry skin because of the change from sweltering summer heat to crisp fall days, you're not alone—and you need a cold-weather skin-care strategy stat. So we tapped Deborah Walters, the general merchandise beauty manager at Saks Fifth Avenue, to help make sense of the sea of alphabet creams, tinted moisturizers, foundations, and other formulas available at beauty counters. Essentially, you're looking for the skin-care equivalent of a leather jacket—and you want it to fit your face just right.

CC creams are similar to a BB cream, but also address uneven skin tone. Some users find it to have a lighter texture than BB cream, which allows for smoother application with a less oily finish. Someone looking for light coverage, but has uneven skin tone concerns is an ideal candidate for a CC. This type of cream is also great for warmer climates, and [my] favorite is Chanel CC Cream.

Should we layer serums and moisturizers or use them separately during the fall months?

Serums and moisturizers should be used in tandem as they are created to work together. Beauty companies will typically develop their formulations to boost the performance and results of their complementary products. Also, serums have added nutrients and benefits as they can penetrate the skin at a deeper level. Moisturizers provide a seal to hydrate the top layer of your skin. A tip I learned: When it gets really cold and dry, apply a double layer of moisturizer on top of the serum.

A category that continues to emerge in skin care is the iteration of the "treatment series"—meant to be used when skin needs a boost. What are some of the benefits of these as temperature drop?

These are the most targeted and specific repair products on the market. Most often, they're used only at night because this is when your skin is working at its optimum level of cell renewal and repair. Also, while you sleep, your skin is working to eliminate toxins. Do you ever wonder why you wake up with that blemish that came about overnight? Beauty sleep is the real deal! Sleep ranks at the top of the list for maintaining healthy skin. Two excellent examples of treatment series are Sisley-Paris Botanical D-Tox, a 30-day night treatment, and Cellcosmet Ultracell, a cellular rejuvenating system incorporating one vial a day for 12 days. These treatments are great to use at the start of each season, because they're loaded with ingredients to boost skin into optimum shape.

Honey: I am intrigued by its centuries of medicinal use due to its powerful antioxidants and antibacterial properties. It is a natural ingredient for skin care, thanks to its anti-aging and healing benefits. Some of my favorite honey-infused products are Guerlain's Abeille Royale collection, Chantecaille Detox Clay Mask with rosemary and honey, and Sweet Bee Magic Skin Cream, which is a holistic approach to all types of skin irritations.

What bad skin care habit drives you insane?

When I hear someone say that she doesn't cleanse her face at night! Oh my...